Winchester, IN – June 27, 2016 – As many times as he had come close to earning his first ARCA Series presented by Menards checkered flag…there was not going to be any denying victory to Chase Briscoe at Winchester Speedway Sunday.
The weekend turned out to be all Chase Briscoe, as he captured both practice sessions, Menards Pole Qualifying and ultimately, the trophy for the Herr’s Potato Chip 200 in his 12th Series start.
Briscoe had left the track the day before the race in the same position a couple of times before. He had put his Big Tine No. 77 Ford on the top of the speed charts in practice numerous times and had grabbed the pole starting position at all four previous short tracks…only to be denied the victory on race day.
There was not a chance that Briscoe was going to walk away from his best opportunity to grab his first ARCA Series checkered flag this time. After leading the first 118 laps, Briscoe fell into second for the next 58 laps. In spite of a tough three lap side-by-side battle with Dalton Sargeant on the final restart, with 23 laps to go, Briscoe prevailed. With prodding from crew chief, Chad Bryant, Briscoe not only took the lead back, but pulled away to a 10-car length lead at the checkered flag. Briscoe and Sargeant were the only two leaders of the race, with Briscoe leading 142 laps.
In front of many of his family and friends, Briscoe did a burnout fitting his first Series win. With coaching from Bryant, Briscoe “burned it down.”
After having a little time to reflect on his first ARCA Series checkered flag at such an historic race track, Briscoe said, “It was such a great weekend for our entire team. We finally swept the weekend after being close so many times this year. For my first win to come in my home state of Indiana, in front of my entire family and at such an historic place as Winchester…it was just so special. I am so blessed to be given this opportunity to be in such great race cars. This win was for all the hours the guys at the shop have put in and for all they have sacrificed. It feels so good to finally pay them and co-owners, Briggs Cunningham and Kerry Scherer, back.”
Briscoe maintains an unofficial 165-point championship lead at the halfway point in the season. He and his team currently sit atop of many of the other special award categories.
Briscoe’s teammate, Will Kimmel kept pace with Briscoe throughout the practice sessions and qualifying. Kimmel started the race in the third spot and remained in the top-5 throughout the second caution, when crew chief Paul Andrews called the No. 22 in for right side tires.
Just past halfway, Kimmel suffered a right front tire issue, resulting in a green flag stop for the pit crew. Shortly after the flat tire, Kimmel got tangled up with a competitor who was multiple laps down, necessitating another visit to pit road to repair damage to the right front of his Ford. The leaders were running such a fast pace (only six cars on the lead lap at checkered flag); Kimmel had no opportunity to make up any of the laps he lost during his pit stops. Kimmel was relegated to a finish of 8th.
The ARCA teams have a weekend off before returning to Iowa Speedway on July 9 for the ARCA 150 presented by Casey’s General Stores.